SEVILLE'S 2006 BIENAL DE FLAMENCO
ARA MALIKIAN & JOSÉ LUIS MONTÓN, ‘MANANTIAL DE LA FELICIDAD’

World flamenco

Silvia Calado. Seville, September 23rd, 2006
Translation: Joseph Kopec

‘Manantial de la felicidad’. Ara Malikian: violin. José Luis Montón: guitar. Miguel Rodrigáñez: contrabass. Jorge Tejerina: percussion. Olga Pericet: baile (guest artist). María Berasarte: voice. El Picúo: cante. Seville's 14th Bienal de Flamenco 2006. Teatro Central. Seville, September 23rd, 2006. 9 p.m.

The musical conjunction advocated by Ara Malikian and José Luis Montón finally sees the light at a flamenco festival. And it isn't that it's an empty experiment, since there are already two albums which have been released by the Armenian violinist and the Catalan guitarist: ‘Manantial’ (2002) and ‘De la felicidad...’ (2005). Precisely, the concert they offered at the Teatro Central gathers the repertoires of both records, which have a common point in flamenco's cosmopolitan nature. Only with this open scheme of world music would it be possible to thread so naturally the jondo, classical, folklore, the Mediterranean, fado... Accompanied by three of the musicians with whom the second album was recorded, contrabassist Miguel Rodrigáñez, percussionist Jorge Tejerina and singer María Berasarte, plus the special collaboration on baile by Olga Pericet, they upheld with unfeigned joy the music which gushes forth when this violinist and this guitarist get together.

José Luis Montón and Olga Pericet (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)

From the first notes poured out by the violin, you can appreciate what good luck it is that musicians as exceptional as Ara Malikian – a current soloist of the Community of Madrid Symphony Orchestra – want to approach flamenco. Though of course, you also have to get into it guided by flamenco musicians as reliable as José Luis Montón. And the thing is that the collaboration isn't limited to the guest instrument acting as cante or guitar, and the guitar acting as itself. It goes well beyond that. The violin only sometimes sketches the melody of the cantaor; the rest of the time it establishes an open dialogue with the guitar which sets off new horizons. Ara Malikian doesn't repress his instrument, but rather to the contrary, he takes advantage of the chance to be able to free it from the strings attaching it to classical music. And moreover even though in his classical concerts when he performs pieces such as ‘Capricci’ by Paganini, the free spirit of his popular musical heritage comes into play.

The seguiriya ‘Detalles’, the tanguillos ‘El malabarista del semáforo’, the song ‘Contigo’, the fado ‘Extraña forma de vida’, the bulerías ‘Agüi’, the soleá ‘Dónde estás’, the copla ‘Pena, penita, pena’, the colombiana ‘Mi niña de Cali’, ‘Manantial’... were part of a repertoire varied in climate, attitude and origins. The touches of color were provided by María Berasarte, a melodic voice which sounds like an instrument, and Olga Pericet, who made an impact with her interesting way of dancing the music. Back in the recent premiere of the show ‘Chanta la mui’, she gave a preview of these moments when her figure is possessed by all the melodic nuances of Malikian's violin and by the weighty rhythm of Montón's guitar. This artist has something special. The somber note was again contributed by Cádiz-born cantaor El Picúo, with a shrill echo entirely distant from the concert's musical quality. And neither the intermission halfway through the performance, when there was no technical change, nor the excessive volume might have been opportune. Though none of these three nuances tarnished one bit a concert which the Sevillian crowd gave a standing ovation to, perhaps ‘demanding’ that instrumental flamenco has to count, too.

Antonio Gades Company, ‘Carmen’. Teatro Lope de Vega, 8 p.m. Stella Arauzo and Adrián Galia, Carmen and Don José (Photo: Daniel Muñoz)   The Antonio Gades Company returned to the Teatro Lope de Vega with ‘Carmen’, a ballet with a storyline, choreography and lighting by Antonio Gades and Carlos Saura. The show, which premiered in Paris in 1983, is currently starred in by Stella Arauzo – the company's artistic director – in the role of ‘Carmen’ and Adrián Galia in the role of Don José. Online store DVD: Carlos Saura. Carmen CD: Compañía Antonio Gades. Carmen (soundtrack)

‘Cante de La Unión’. Hotel Triana, 11:30 p.m.   Rocío Segura (Photo: Luis Castilla. Bienal 2006)     The dense clouds which burst over Seville at noon gave the city a breather for it to be able to enjoy a complete night of flamenco. It began with ‘Carmen’ by Antonio Gades at the Teatro Lope de Vega, continued with the concert by Ara Malikian & José Luis Montón at the Teatro Central and culminated in nearly the early morning hours with the gala ‘Cante de La Unión’ at the Hotel Triana. In this single-theme performance, the idiosyncrasy of the cante minero is extolled, but with the touch of current importance provided by the latest award winners with the coveted prize from its festival: the Lámpara Minera. Almería-born Rocío Segura, Raúl Montesinos and Rubito Hijo from the Sevillian town of La Puebla de Cazalla, Jaén-born Gema Jiménez and the cantaor from Osuna Manuel Cuevas took care of rejuvenating the cantes de levante. Photo: Luis Castilla. Bienal 2006. Online store CD: AAVV. Festival del Cante de las Minas. Antología (5 CD)

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